Biology: Life on Earth
Biology: Life on Earth
10th Edition
ISBN: 9780321729712
Author: Gerald Audesirk, Teresa Audesirk, Bruce E. Byers
Publisher: Benjamin Cummings
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Chapter 9, Problem 1FTB

Fill-in-the-Blank

The genetic material of all living organisms is _________, which is contained in chromosomes. A gene is a part of a chromosome found at a specific place, or__________. Alternate forms of a gene are called __________ LO1 LO5

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Summary Introduction

To review:

The blank space in the statement, “the genetic material of all living organism is _____, which is contained in chromosomes. A gene is a part of the chromosome found at a specific place or________. Alternate forms of the gene are called_______”.

Introduction:

DNA (deoxyribose nucleic acid) is the genetic material. The genetic information contained in the DNA is inherited by the subsequent generations. It is generally found in the nucleus of the eukaryotic cell and the cytoplasm of prokaryotic cells.

Explanation of Solution

DNA is composed of a pentose sugar, a phosphate group, and also a nitrogenous base. This is known as a nucleotide. They form a long helical structure via phosphodiester bond between each nucleotide, and the formation of the strand is technically aided by hydrogen bonding. The long stretch of DNA is present in a highly compact manner in the chromosomes along with the histone proteins. The double helical structure of DNA is unwounded into a short stretch of strands to make a new copy an of genetic information called daughter cells. This process is known as replication and is governed by various types of enzymes.

Due to its double stranded structure, DNA is considered to be stable and it is the exact reason it is considered to be the genetic material instead of RNA (ribonucleic acid). The DNA undergoes a central dogma procedure, where first DNA is replicated then the information is transcribed into the mixture of RNA (mRNA, rRNA, tRNA), out of which mRNA (messenger RNA) is considered to be the RNA which carries the information. The mRNA then translates into a protein and after post modification of the protein it is responsible for performing various functions in the body.

A gene is basically the segment of the chromosome which comprises of the code for a particular protein, which functions in one or more than one kinds of cells in the body. The genes are arranged in a particular sequence and each of them has a certain location present on the chromosome known as locus. Allele refers to the each of the two or more alternative forms of the gene, which occurs by the mutation and are present at the same place on the chromosome.

Conclusion

The genetic material of all living organism is DNA, which is contained in chromosomes. A gene is a part of the chromosome found at a specific place or loci. Alternate forms of the gene are called alleles.

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Students have asked these similar questions
Fill in the Blanks     The genetic makeup of the organism is called its (blank1)      , and the physical traits of an organism are called its (blank2)     .
Which of the definitions below most accurately describes a chromosome? Group of answer choices 1. Proteins that give an organism certain characteristics 2. All of the DNA found in a cell 3. One piece of DNA with proteins associated with it 4. None of the above
Which statement best describes a genomic library? an initial amount of DNA can be multiplied into millions of copies a large collection of bacteria that are engineered to contain fragments of an organism's complete genome a collection of DNA sequences are arranged on a microscopic grid many small pieces of circular, double-stranded DNA that replicate independently of chromosomes contained in a nucleus
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